Academics in many professions, from cultural anthropology to business, all apply Hofstede’s dimension of power distance to a range of intercultural issues. This study explores power distance as defined in Hofstede’s Cultures and Organizations: Software of The Mind, and applies these concepts to an analysis of cross-cultural relations and communication in Thailand. A particular focus on power distance is suggested as a means of understanding microsocial and macrosocial systems in Thailand. Conventions connected to power distance such as social interaction, education, business and politics, are among the institutions covered in this research. Other overlapping dimensions are also suggested as key features for understanding intercultural communication within the country.
Hofstede’s Power Distance and InterculturalCommunication in Thailand
Wouldn’t it be easy enough if the world’s cultures could be classified into strict dichotomies that represent equally contrasting elements of the eastern and western hemispheres? It appears as though some would make sense of the world in this way. A line would be drawn from America to China, and it would be assumed that an equal difference of every dimension would be found as a continuum from one side to the next. On the other hand, a more multidimensional analysis would destroy these presumptions. Not only can differences be found between East Asia’s collectivism and The United States’ individualism, but between North America and South America, such as Canada and Guatemala, and even within Europe itself, such as Italy and Greece (Hofstede, 1997). The UK’s masculine values can be contrasted with Scandinavia’s femininity (84). Hong Kong’s people are far more comfortable with unpredictability than South Korean society (113), and in Thailand; less powerful people expect powerful members of the society to take care of important matters of business and politics, while the dynamic is amplified in Malaysia, but significantly toned down in the more egalitarian oriented Germany (26). Geert Hofstede refers to this dimension of culture as power distance.
Power distance is defined as “the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions accept and expect that power is distributed unequally” (28). Among Hofstede’s dimensions of national culture, the category of power distance seems to show the most broadly contrasting elements that arise out of cross-cultural relations in Thailand. Not only do these differences affect every day interactions between Thai people, expats and others visiting the country, but they also say a lot about Thailand’s economic and political landscape.
Historical and Causal Factors
Moreover, Thailand’s position as a high power distance society may be attributed to a long line of thought that stretches back to the third century B.C. when Buddhism saw its beginnings in the country (Kusalasaya, 2006). In Buddhist families, seeking the help of another who is more spiritually advanced, such as a senior monk, is a given. Most Thai families keep photos and deities of senior monks who are received as their collective guru. This alone reinforces power distance in a way that is seen in the most positive light in Thai society. In Buddhist thought, the concept of karma is defined by a law of cause and effect within samsara: the endless cycle of birth and death. Every action has consequences of varying degrees, and everyone will live, die and be born again into another life that reflects the karma of one’s past life.
Accordingly, one’s role in society would also be determined by their past karma. Maintaining harmony in society would depend upon people of varying classes accepting their roles as an inheritance of past karma. More powerful people would be obligated to be mediators who take care of those who are less powerful. This is a slightly more horizontal version of the Confucian social dynamics in Korea, Japan and China, all of which are major sources of investment and tourism in Thailand (Nisbett, 2003) (Department of Tourism, 2014) (Thailand Board of Investment, 2014). Of course, it would be mere speculation to suppose that this aspect of thought, on its own, would legitimize power distance to the degree that it is accepted in Thai society. Other contributing factors might include the implications of socioeconomic status, age and generation differences, ecology, traditional conventions, educational practices, and a number of others, none of which should be seen from a deterministic viewpoint.
Power Distance and Intercultural Communication in Thailand
Social conventions that arise from these values and perceptions leave many foreigners in Thailand bewildered in cross-cultural interactions. People of a higher social status, such as business leaders, are expected to live up to their roles (Pimpa, 2012). Relatively wealthy foreigners who intend to be polite by acting in a way that appears inclusive by their own country’s standards will often be seen as lacking confidence. Under these circumstances, communication is likely to be very awkward. Subordinates’ dependency on those of higher status will only exist as long as all of the gears are turning. For example, when eating dinner at a restaurant, higher earners would normally be expected to pay the bill for their group. In Thai language, this is considered as an act of nam jai (น้ำใจ). This would be expected by others as a token of appreciation, and as an action of maintaining harmony in the Buddhist tradition of charitable generosity. Otherwise, counterdependency develops when one party feels slighted. This is characteristic of in-group dynamics in Thailand, and some overlapping may be observed in these circumstances as shifting from power distance to collectivism, and vice versa.
On a mass scale, counterdependency and contrasts between Thailand’s in-group and out-group dynamics may be seen in large protest movements when one side feels as though they aren’t getting what they deserve (BBC, 2014). Hofstede states that political grievances aren’t addressed through legal systems or elections in high power distance countries (38). Mass scale discrepancies result in one party’s attempt to diminish the power of the other through force, rather than law. Both family and context are more important in the legal system, which is one that is again, similar to Confucian styles of law, rather than republican forms of government that adhere strictly to written rules and codes.
Similar business operations may be observed in the Thai workplace. An objective or principled approach will likely be seen as one that is impractical due to the norms of interpersonal dealings. Out-group associations are generally much further apart in most Asian countries, while in-groups are relatively closer when compared to many western countries (Nisbett, 2003). Therefore, even families wielding power aren’t expected to warm up to those outside their circle of close friends and acquaintances. To outsiders, this aspect of society could appear nepotistic. Inside Thailand, the people who make up these families’ out-group circles might even side with the outsider’s observances.
Power distance also has an enormous influence within educational institutions in Thailand. Hierarchies between teachers and students, as well as new teachers and senior teachers, shape the norms of Thai educational pedagogy. Again, this is a system based on relationships, rather than principle. In 1999, a successful initiative to create standards for student-centered learning in Thai schools turned out to be unsuccessful in its application (Thamraksa, 2003). Educational leadership in schools faced confusion as to how teachers would be trained, and many teachers even felt threatened at the prospect that their authority might be undermined. Many students who are used to passive learning and assuming the role of subordinate in the classroom also felt as though they were taking on a new role unnecessarily. Concepts of tiered activities in student-centered classrooms might have been able to clear up this issue from the point of view of students. In facilitating these activities, students may still take on specifically defined roles according to Thai cultural contexts. However, high power distance is more deeply rooted in the elder generations. So, it is probable that senior educators and administrators will maintain a reflection of high power distance in Thailand’s schools for some time to come.
Overlapping Cultural Dimensions in Thailand
There are also overlapping characteristics in Thai conventions that could be attributed to two or more categories. For example, the legal practice of reenacting crimes, and publicly questioning those who have been convicted of serious offenses is seen as bizarre by many foreigners (Rojanaphruk, 2013). This may stem from the aspect of Buddhist philosophy promoting equanimity: in this case, among observers who have been affected by shocking circumstances. This has roots in a complex kind of collectivism that sees serious occurrences in the context of ongoing change between all of those involved in any side of the matter. In Thailand, it would be perceived as isolating, and neglectful to leave families alone after they have been affected by a serious crime. Thailand is also similar to the Scandinavian countries in terms of valuing femininity highly. So any punishment involving retribution would come second to a tender sense of empathy for families, and the construction of a particular closure that helps everyone make sense of the entire scenario. However, paternalistic assertiveness may coexist with Thailand’s feminine values. Thus, power distance is likely to remain high for generations.
It’s also important to remember that Thailand is a high context society where indirect communication and holistic thinking prevail. A dialectic style will get foreign visitors further than a purely logical style of communication. An awareness of cross-cultural perceptions will benefit both Thais and foreigners in communication, whether they are holistic and contextual, or analytical and fragmentary. Values of femininity over masculinity, collectivism over individualism, cyclical perceptions of time (Lewis, 2014), and higher power distance play an integral part in the social dynamics of Thai society. Because Thailand is in constant contact with a multicultural population, it should be suggested that intercultural competence involves a mutual understanding of the influences that contribute to identity, among all people in the country, from any background. These influences could be cultural, subcultural and even countercultural. Power distance is among one of many cultural dimensions that demand to be understood in order to communicate peacefully across cultures. It is not a characteristic that is exclusive to Asian countries… France is also high on the scale for reasons pertaining to individualistic pursuits (26). On the other hand, a total integration of cultural values may not be realistic due to fears of cultural appropriation and deep rooted characteristics of thought. However, cultural convergence could be reconceptualized in simpler terms. Confusion in cross-cultural interactions is often humorous, and in this context; laughing and smiling are universal forms of communication.
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